


If You've Ever Wondered...

by BardicRaven



Category: MacGyver (TV 1985), Quantum Leap, WKRP in Cincinnati
Genre: Alternate Universe - Guardian Angels, Demonstrations, Friendship, Gen, Guardian Angels, Science, Science is fun!, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-20 02:27:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17013834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BardicRaven/pseuds/BardicRaven
Summary: To the rest of the world, he was Jack Dalton, the bumbling, ever-hopeful, somewhat ineffectual friend of Angus MacGyver, pilot, sometime messenger, and dreamer. A person whose Dreams never quite worked out, but always hopeful nonetheless.In truth he was much more than that. An angel come to Earth, to watch over MacGyver as he worked, keep him safe from harm in a very harm-prone field. Expand that lightening-intellect to encompass more than could be perceived by the everyday senses, despite the certain knowledge that he’d not be thanked for it, were it ever to be found out.That didn’t matter to him tho’ - not nearly as much as doing his job.Both of them.





	If You've Ever Wondered...

**Author's Note:**

  * For [deepandlovelydark](https://archiveofourown.org/users/deepandlovelydark/gifts).



> Thanks to the ever-awesome Kitsa for the beta and inspirations.

#  **Jack**

To the rest of the world, I am Jack Dalton, the bumbling, ever-hopeful, somewhat ineffectual friend of Angus MacGyver, pilot, sometime messenger and dreamer, person whose Dreams never quite work out, but always hopeful nonetheless.

But I am far more than that, far more than what meets the outward eye. True for most humans, but me more than most. This body, this life, is a shell, a tale I tell people to mask who and what I really am – an Avatar who comes to Earth to help the helpers help the World. In other times and places, I run a bar – Al’s Place, a place outside of time where people come to get a second chance. Here, now, I’m here to help Mac – you know him as Angus MacGyver – stay safe in a field that is anything but safe. Expand that lightening-intellect of his to encompass more than can be perceived by the everyday senses. Despite the certain knowledge that he’d not thank me, were it ever to be found out.

Fortunately for me, that’s unlikely at best. For all his many good qualities, Mac tends towards the rational, preferring to stick with the things that he can see and hear and smell, taste and touch, perceive the outward form rather than all that lies beneath. A minor flaw in an otherwise good character, but still, one I’m working on him to change.

Not that he always appreciates my efforts.

 

* * *

#  **MacGyver**

I was headed into Cincinnati, Ohio, the last leg on my tour. No, I haven’t given up working for the Phoenix Foundation to take up the life of a rock star. No, this was a science demonstration tour that I did as often as I could get away to do it, going from town to town to show people, especially kids, that the sciences are cool, fun, something to get into, not run away from in fear.

The only fly in the ointment this time was that my friend Jack Dalton had decided to come along, why I wasn’t really sure. And not only that, but he was flying me from stop to stop – the result, I was pretty sure, of my beating Pete pretty soundly at poker a few days before I was due to leave for my first stop. Whatever the reason, my plane tickets had been abruptly cancelled and when I complained to Pete about it, he said, and I quote, ‘MacGyver, he’s your friend. Fly with him.” And he said no more on the subject.

But it hadn’t been all bad. Been rather good in fact, to my surprise. He was good with the kids and the grown-ups alike, helping them to understand what I was doing and why, although some of the explanations did get a little far-fetched at times.

And, as much as it pained me to admit it, I was happy for his company. The line of work I’m in, you don’t often get to socialize, and as far as anything more, forget it. That’s for after you retire, if you’re lucky enough to do that.

Anyway, we flew into Cincinnati, rented a car, got checked in to the hotel and went through the routine we’d been through in a dozen other cities along our way. Check into the room, check out the closest decent food, and then check back into our rooms to check out for the night.

After a good night’s sleep, we headed over to the venue early to make sure things were in order for the demonstration that afternoon. When we got there, I pulled Jack aside. “Now Jack, stay out of trouble.” I wasn't all that hopeful that my words would have any effect on him - certainly they never had before - but I figured it didn't hurt to try.

He put his hand over his heart. “Now when have I ever caused you trouble, Mac?” His earnestness sounded real – unless you’d known him for as long as I had. Then you knew that he knew how regularly he shot up my blood pressure with his mad escapes and escapades. Sometimes I swore that he did it to me on purpose, just to see how far he could push me before I lost it completely.

“Jack, quit kidding around, or I’ll put you in the show.”

He raised his hands in surrender and mock-fear. At least I think it was mock-fear. “No, thank you, Mac. I promise, I’ll be a good boy.” And with that, he moved off into the depths of the auditorium. I let him go. I knew that, while trouble seemed to stick to Jack Dalton like glue, he also had an almost magical ability to get out of the trouble he so often got himself into.

Besides, what trouble could he really get into here?

* * *

#  **The Story**

After his successful escape and subsequent explorations of the environs, Jack Dalton found himself a seat near the center of the auditorium and got himself comfortable. He’d seen the show a number of times now, but it never failed to amaze – him or the people around him. He spoke with the people around him, helping them get comfortable, helping them to blend into a group, an audience. Nothing out of the ordinary, just good ole conversation skills and a little bit of empathy, but enough, as it always was.

Together, he and the people around him watched the show, gasping and aaah-ing at all the right moments, as MacGyver showed them unorthodox solutions to, perhaps not common problems, but interesting problems just the same. Taking them away from their ordinary lives for a couple of hours, showing them how the extraordinary could be found in the ordinary.

 

* * *

In the crowd after the demonstration, Jack began to make his way towards the stage where MacGyver waited. Despite having been threatened with being woven into the show, as he always was, Jack had enjoyed his chance to watch from the audience instead. There were so many fascinating people who came to shows like this. Theymight not think of themselves as fascinating, but Jack knew better. Everyone was fascinating if you looked at them in the right way.

As he walked towards the stage, he saw a group of people from one of the local radio stations that had co-sponsored the event at a table off to the side. Planning to ignore them and get backstage as soon as possible, instead, Jack found himself facing a large man with wind-blown hair and the most awful taste in suits that he’d seen in a long time.

“Herb,” the man said, holding out his hand. “Herb Tarlek. Sales manager at WKRP. Do you run a business?”

“Why yes, I do – several of them in fact. Fly By Night flying service and Jack Be Quick Messenger Service among them.”

“You local?” The man’s face grew eager, filled with thoughts of money being made. Jack knew that face – had it on himself more than once.

“’fraid not. Here with him.” Jack cocked a thumb in the direction of the stage.

The man’s face fell. “Ah,” he said with disappointment, then, brightening, “Well, here’s my card. Call me if you ever are looking to advertise in town.”

“I’ll be sure to do that, my good man.” He turned away from this Herb fellow and prepared to keep going.

“Who are you?” A taller, thinner man this time, with a long face and pointed mustaches, looking at him with a gaze of frank perplexity.

Jack put out his hand. “Jack Dalton, pilot, messenger, Dreamer of Dreams, flyer of people and things.”

“No, you’re not.”

“Pardon me?” Jack Dalton replied. He wasn’t used to anyone seeing through his disguise, certainty not a human. They tended to be remarkably dense in and on certain things. Why he was here in the first place – to push boundaries as well as circumstances, encourage humans to expand their consciousness as well as their perception.

“No, you’re not.” Johnny Fever, star of radio stations across the country, most recently WKRP in Cincinnati, responded with certainty.

“If I’m not me, good sir,” Jack asked with a mix of curiosity, alarm, and amusement. “Then who am I?”

“I don’t know,” Johnny answered honestly. “But I do know that you’re not him… Jack whoever… Dalton.” He looked Jack up, down, back, before adding “Or at least not just him.”

“You’re quite perceptive, my good man,” Jack said quietly. “How did you know?”

“Drugs, man,” Johnny answered simply. “Lots and lots of drugs. Back in the sixties and seventies, you needed drugs to see right. Now… now it’s just a habit.”

“It’s a habit I wish more people would get into,” Jack replied.

“So, if you’re not this Jack Dalton fellow, then who are you?”

Jack considered the man in front of him – who he was, what he’d said. Then he chose. “I am a being from outside of Time, currently manifesting as Jack Dalton, pilot and poker of MacGyver.”

“Poker of MacGyver? What’s that? You two in some kind of relationship?”

Jack shook his head. “Nothing like that, my good man, tho’ I’d not say ‘no’ if he ever asked. No, I was merely sent here to make sure that MacGyver learns to open his mind to all the possibilities of this world before it’s too late.”

“Wow. That’s deep.”

“You’re not surprised.?” Jack couldn’t keep the amazement out of his voice.

“Should I be?”

“No, not particularly. But a lot of humans are.”

“Jack, I’ve done a lot of drugs and seen a lot of things across this wide country of ours. I’ve seen enough to know that I haven’t seen everything. You seem like a decent guy, and really, that’s all I need to know. The rest… is just curiosity.”

“A trait I wish more humans would embrace, Mr Fever.”

“Call me Johnny.”

“Johnny, then. Too many times people only want to see and know what right in front of their faces, when the real world is far more interesting.”

“Couldn’t agree more.”

Jack could feel MacGyver's impatience to be gone, even without any special talents. “It’s been a pleasure meeting you, Johnny, but I’d best get back to MacGyver. Horizons to broaden, you know.”

“Well, you’ve certainty broadened mine.”

“Then I will regard this meeting a success.” Jack grinned and clapped the other man on the shoulder before turning away into the crowd.

MacGyver was out there, and he needed to get back to work.

* * *

“What were you doing out there, Jack?” MacGyver said with some concern. It never really did to leave Jack alone unsupervised for too long, especially when he was MacGyver’s ride.

“Educating the people, Mac. Educating the people.” Jack easily fell back into his role – speaking the truth, more truth than the average person saw at first glance, even someone as smart as MacGyver. Especially someone as smart as MacGyver.

“Uh-hunh. How about you educate me on where we can find some good food in this town. I’m starving.”

“Funny you should say that. Why, when I was in the crowd just now, I overheard a lady talking to her friend about this great new restaurant in town. I asked her about it, and before you know it...”

“Explain later, Jack,” MacGyver said. “Food first, talking later.” He took Jack by the arm, steering him out to the parking lot where their rental car awaited. Jack smiled at the thought of the day’s events – of meeting Johnny Fever and finding a compatriot in the oddest places. Par for the course, really, but always amazing when it happened. Of helping to put just a few more holes into the rigidly thought out life that was MacGyver’s. A good man, a good soul, but one who so desperately needed to loosen up.

And that was Jack’s specialty – helping others to see the world in a different light.

In both worlds.

But for now, food, and MacGyver, awaited. Jack hurried to catch up.

**Author's Note:**

> So this is what happens when you let Muses fly freely - hope you enjoy!
> 
> A note on the third Universe in this crossover - as I was doing the research for this story, since it has been some years since I've had the pleasure of seeing either the original 'MacGyver' or 'WKRP in Cincinnati', I was reminded that the same actor played both Jack Dalton and Al the Bartender. 
> 
> And with that, a story was born. Again, I hope you enjoy!
> 
> -YG


End file.
